William williams



(No Mbdel.

- W. WILLIAMS THILL COUPLING.

No. 283,309. Pate t q Au fm, 1883.

. within the hook a, and adapted to be placed UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, or CALEDONIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALFTO R-UssELn w. nonnnrs AND CHARLES r. onnrz, or SAME PLACE.

THILL COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,309, dated August-.14, 1883,

Application filed February 24,1883. (No model.) i

I To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM WILLIAMs, a

citizen of theUnited States, residing at Galedonia, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

. to'the letters and figures of reference marked longitudinal section of the same.

thereon, which form a part of this specification. My invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the sev eral parts, as will be herein after fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a vertical Fig. 3 is a side view of the thill-hook and cylinder. Fig. his a top view of the thill-iron and rubber block. Fig. 5 shows aperspective and a crosssectional view of the cylinder, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the rubber-block.

a is the. thill-hook, secured on the forward end of the clip-plate, which is made fast tothe fore axle in suitable manner. WVhen so de sired, the hook could be fornied on or made fast directly to one of the arms of the axle-clip.

. This hook is provided on its upper sidewith the esca e-o enin a and its forward side is p P a 7 made thinnest at a point, ,111 line with the draft, and it is thickened at a" a, respectively,

above and below the point a, in line of draft, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and for the purposes hereinafter described.

I) is a screw turning through the under side of the hook a, nearly diametrically opposite the escape-opening a, as shown. This screw is made sufficiently long so that itspoint may extend through the hook when it is turned in through the same. y y

c is a cylinder made of a size to fit snugly and revolved in the said hook. It is provided inder cannot be turned from left to c is a groove cut in the cylinder 01'11 a plane parallel to the line of draft, and made deepest at a point diametrically, or nearly so, opposite the seat'c, as shown in .Fig. 5. This groove continues entirely to the seat a on what, for convenience of reference, I call the upper side of the cylinder, while on its lower side it extends only to a point, 0", at about right angles to the seat 0, where it runs out to the periphery of the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 2 and5. The point of the screw b extends into the groove 0 and it will be seen that the cylright be yond the point at which it is shown in Fig. 2, but that it can be turned in the opposite direction until the seat 0 comes over the point of i the screw, and the cylinder may be removed endwise out of the hook when the screw or the thill-iron has been removed. I prefer, however, to use the screw, as thereby all wear in the groove. may be compensated for by increasing the length of the projection in the hook.

d is thethill-iron, having the cross-bar d, adapted to be passed through the opening a and to rest in the seat 0, as shown, and having the opening (P, which slips over the point of the hook, and is made sufficiently largeto receive the rubber block 6, as shown.

.In the operation of the device the cylinder 0 is turned to bring the seat 0 under the opening a, and the cross-bar d is passed down into the seat a, and the thill is turned down to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2j and the rubber block ebears between the front of the hook and the forward 'wall of the opening. and prevents all rattling. By making the hook thicker above and below the line of draft or normal position.

of the thill, the latter is prevented in the first instance from being thrown up by any ordinary .motion, and is held up from the ground by the portion thickened below the line of draft. It is aided in the latter operation by the groove 0 011 the cylinder 0, terminating on what I have called the under side of the cylinder at a point about at right angles to theseat 0, as has been described.

It might in some cases be desirable to use metallic coil or bar springs instead of the rubber block 6; but I prefer to use the latter, as

it is convenient and easy of application.

IOO

Instead of extending the groove 0 up to the seat 0, as has been described, it might be made to terminate on what I have denominated the upper side at a point diametrically opposite the point a, so that the cylinder could be taken out and reversed when one end of the Q groove had been considerably worn by the bearing of the point of screw b, or a projection inder c and thill-iron d, provided with crossbar d, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2; In a thill-coupling, the hook a, provided 20 I with the enlarged parts a a and the intervening thin part, (1 in combination with the cylinder c, thill-iron d, having opening d and the rubber block 6, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth. 25

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM WILLIAMS. Witnesses:--

J. BLANCHARD, J. F. Arr. 

